Authors can now 'autograph' Nook books

Mike Luttrell, 26th April 2011

If you're a Nook owner, you no longer need to feel left out at local book signing events.
While it may still be awkward to take your little e-reader to the front of the signing table, at least now it's possible, thanks to an upcoming firmware update to Barnes & Noble's device.

With the new feature, set to debut very soon, users will have the ability to enable digital inking on the cover of their e-books, and, with the help of a stylus, allow for authors or anyone else to write a permanent note.

Barnes & Noble plans to kick off the enhancement in New York City at an event for children's book author Sandra Boynton, who will be offering her latest title The Going to Bed Book, on Nook.

It's one, albeit small, feature that helps differentiate the Nook from the Kindle. This update comes on the heels of the release of Android 2.2 for Barnes & Noble's e-reader, which essentially turns the Nook into a full-featured Android tablet.

That leaves the Kindle pretty much alone in the market of exclusively dedicated book-reading gadgets, though Sony's Reader still fits that category as well.